


Appoggiatura

by Golden_Autumn



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Spoilers, major ndrv3 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 11:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12506280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Autumn/pseuds/Golden_Autumn
Summary: [Major V3 Spoilers]She closes her eyes and lets her fingers dance along the keys. His heart races, and it's fantastic.Saihara finally hears Akamatsu play the piano.





	Appoggiatura

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't know it was Saiede week so this might be a bit rushed (Edit: I've been editing so many times since I posted, I am never satisfied with my work it seems) and the day is already gone, bah. Day 1: Death. Inspired and based by this [comic](https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=manga&illust_id=61389324)

They push the door open. The sunlight from the window comes pouring in as if its purpose is to shine a light on the center of the room. Kaede breathes in at the sight while Shuichi makes an observation of the room.   

"There really is a grand piano in the center of the room." Shuichi murmurs with his finger on the edge of his chin. He thinks, "there must be other research rooms for all of us then."

Monokuma made a sudden announcement that the research room for both the Ultimate Pianist and Ultimate Inventor are done and open to the public. After investigating most of the school, they decide to check the research room out as their final stop. Despite knowing they are trapped in the academy, the sight of the room is enough to excite Kaede.  

"Wow..." Kaede whispers, a grin spreading across her face and her eyes shining bright to match. She dashes over to the wall of CDs; Chopin, Mozart, Bach, recordings of her favorite pianists and songs. She wonders how they knew so much about her and thinks if it was related to the secret of the school. She wants to push back the thought as she scours the room once more. There is a huge chalkboard in the back filled with music notes, speakers surrounding the room with music sheets of the classics on the floor, and in the center of it all—a grand piano just like Saihara said. 

She walks slowly to the piano, a small gasp came from her as she trails her fingers along the fallboard, the lid covering the keyboard. There is a music sheet set up, _Ballades No. 1_ , by Chopin but she knows she doesn't need it. She sees microphones set up in the grand piano but wonders where it connects to. Walking around the platform, she thinks of the years of practice, the melodies constantly playing in her head, and yet, it still amazes her to this day how one instrument can impact so much of her life. Shuichi takes notice and amusingly calls out to her. 

"You know, the point of a piano is to play it." She reddens, almost forgot that Saihara is still in the room. There is a reason she was called the Piano Freak but when she sees the warm smile on his face, it loosens her worries. She trots off the wooden platform where the piano is currently on.  

"S-Sorry, I just couldn't help it." She says enthusiastically as she walks toward him with a smile. He nods as a response, understanding where she is coming from. After realizing their situation, she clears her throat and turns around to face the exit. Her voice is soft and low, "come on, let's go. There doesn't seem to be much information about the school here." 

"W..Wait," His eyes widen; he noticed how happy she was when they stepped into the room. He knows he didn't want that to stop. It was the first time since they arrived that he had forgotten about being trapped, about the killing game, about the mastermind. Her hand was at the knob, her face turning back to look at him. He stammers out, "There's no reason to leave just yet."

She moves her head sideways at him, her brows begin to furrow at what he means. He clears his throat and says, "Since we're already here, why don't you play a song for me?"

"H-HUH!?" Kaede yelps, the sudden shock of his request causes her to flinch back away from the door. Her eyes went wide at his request, and she can feel her single lock of hair straighten up. Her left hand that was once on the knob is now waving back and forth in the air. She stammers out, "T...That's fine! We need to keep s-searching for clues so we can get out!"

"Just a break won't hurt. I say we deserve to relax for now." He sheepishly places his left hand behind his head while straightening his hat back to finally look at her in the eye, a moment he never thought of doing until now. Shuichi laughs bashfully, "and, I really want to hear Akamatsu-san play the piano." 

"Where is this sense of confidence coming from Saihara-kun?" She muses before she waves her hands in surrender. Kaede's says with a charming lilt to her voice. "...Fine, but once we get out of here, I'll teach you how to play so you can play for me in return." 

He nods, the smile staying on at the thought. "That's a promise."  

He watches her walk towards the grand piano, the sunlight shining on her body as she sits down on the bench. She straightens out her skirt before she lifts the lid off of the keyboard. She tests the piano by playing the first note, and the speakers blare out in response. A warm smile play on her face as the sun begins to fade from the window. She closes her eyes and lets her fingers dance along the keys. His heart races, and it's fantastic. As expected of the Ultimate Pianist. 

The soft melody of  _Clair De Lune_  fills the classroom as he closes his eyes. His body relaxes, and it is everything they need. The melody continues on, and he can hear her hum the tune along with it. She is almost at the end of the piece, and he doesn't want it to stop. She knows that so she lets the melody play a little longer, just for him. This is a song meant only for his ears. He knows the song will eventually end but he can feel the desperation in her playing, not wanting to stop. 

Then, the song starts to slow down and the tune starts to change.

"Akamatsu-san?" He says in a low voice, his eyes still firmly shut. A different song replaces the gentle melody, a march—it was off and harsh compared to the earlier melody,  _not_ of the Ultimate Pianist, and it suddenly becomes achingly familiar to Shuichi. His eyes stay shut. He brings his hands over to his ears, desperately shutting out the tune but it plays loud and clear in his mind. 

A resounding cry. _"Saihara-kun!"_  

The memories of her desperate look, the panic in her eyes before the metal claw clasped around her neck, flash in his mind. The tune plays loud and clear. He  _won't_ open his eyes.  

She reaches for him; he remembers his hand outstretched but only felt the cold air as she gets pulled into the ceiling. Her feet hang low, her hands desperately clenching at the rope around her neck as they swing her from her neck, back and forth on the piano keys. The song plays louder and more frantic. His breathing became erratic—short and choked up. Tears suddenly dash to his eyes, refusing to fall. The memory of her lifeless body swinging back and forth from the rope after it was all done forces him to clench his fist. 

He knows what's coming next—the spikes of the back of the keylid taunting him and he refuses to remember so he opens his eyes. Tears that were once held back come pouring down the moment he looks, and he sees nothing. 

There is no sunlight. There is no pianist. The cold air—the missing laughter and warm smile—mocks him entirely. The tune finally stops. He wipes his tears before he starts clapping. The sound resonates throughout the room and he laughs weakly, "Amazing performance Akamatsu-san."

And he means it. He regrets letting her leave the room that day, he regrets watching her walk away with a sad smile on her face, he regrets not asking her to play for him. The tears come rolling down once more.

When he finally stops clapping, he pulls his hat forward as a habit even though there is no one here. He breathes out. He has to believe in himself for his sake and Akamatsu's, and he must move on. He walks over to the piano and shuts the lid over the keys as if he was imagining his hand closing her eyelids.

"I won't give up. I promise I'll play for you when this is all done." He whispers before he leaves the room. He shuts the door entirely, and he swears he can hear her—not from his memories, or his imagination.

_"I'm leaving everything up to you, Saihara-kun. ....Goodbye."_

**Author's Note:**

> I just noticed my end note didn't go through. I suppose it's a little late but I feel I need to explain the reference to Ballades No. 1 by Chopin since it might seem random to some people. It's a nod and parallel to The Pianist and Your Lie in April, though the pianists end up living longer than their deuteragonist. 
> 
> I'm also a huge fan of Chopin so when writing this piece, I was debating if I should replace Clair De Lune with a Chopin piece such as Ballades No. 1 but there's too much importance in Clair De Lune by Debussy for Saihara and Akamatsu so I couldn't take that away. Thanks for reading this note and my rambling. I had fun writing this story despite the time restraint and the many lookovers that I did.


End file.
